Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that its plan to increase Holborn tube station’s capacity in order to manage an increased number of trains and passengers has received support from the public and the local community.
During a consultation period that started on 18 September and lasted until 17 November 2017, 98% of respondents agreed that the station required an upgrade, while 96% supported TfL’s proposals.
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Holborn is one of London’s busiest underground stations, with around 56 million passengers using it every year. During peak hours, travellers have to pass through a single point at the bottom of the main escalators and often have to queue outside the ticket gates to avoid overcrowding.
In a bid to deal with the situation, TfL suggested a plan to construct a second entrance and exit at the southern end of Procter Street.
The agency also suggested installing eight new escalators and three new lifts to facilitate step-free access from the street to trains for older and disabled people.
The proposed capacity upgrade is expected to decrease overcrowding and relieve pressure on the existing Kingsway entrance, as well as supporting future plans to increase the number of trains on the Central and Piccadilly lines.
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By GlobalDataThe scheme also involves turning a disused Aldwych line platform into a new concourse for Piccadilly line customers, providing additional space and making journeys more comfortable.
London Underground managing director Mark Wild said: “The expansion of Holborn Tube station will make life better for the tens of thousands of customers who use it every day.
“It is an important station, serving a broad range of local institutions and businesses, but it is clearly increasingly not fit for purpose. The consultation showed people are fully behind our proposals to transform the station.
TfL will launch a second consultation in 2020 in a bid to gather suggestions as to how the proposed new station entrance should be built.
